Automatic spinning machine having a device for the automatic doffing of the bobbins and replacing of the tubes



Dec. 29, 1970 MARENCO AUTOMATIC SPINNING MACHINE HAVING A DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOFFING OF THE BOBBINS AND REPLACING OF THE TUBES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1968 Dec. 29, 1970 M. MARENCO 3,550,363:

AUTOMATIC SPINNING MACHINE HAVING A DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOFFING OF THE BOBBINS AND REPLACING OF THE TUBES Filed Aug. 16, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 E] O- O 15 Dec. 29, 1970 M. MARENCO 3,550,368

AUTOMATIC SPINNING MACHINE HAVING A DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOFFING OF THE BOBBINS AND REPLACING OF THE TUBES Filed Aug. 16, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIGB OFIGJS 1U F|G.14

:1FIGJ1 I Unes i ioFlG.10

United States Patent Int. Cl. D01h 9 /00, 9/02, 9/08 U.S. Cl. 57-52 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic spinning machine for automatically doffing bobbins and replacing tubes characterized in that the automatic doffing and replacing device is formed of an articulated frame, supported by a bearing structure and comprising a pair of connecting rods, a pair of sliding blocks or sleeves, a round bar for guiding sliding blocks and a crosspiece carrying the clamping means, controlled for an upward and downward movement and a rigid horizontal translating movement, said device being integral part of the spinning machine, and being arranged at its rest position under the spindle-holder in a position in which the occupation of space is reduced.

This invention relates to a spinning machine comprising means for automatic dofling of bobbins and replacing of the tubes.

Spinning machines at present being used require a manual operation for the dofling of the bobbins and replacing of the tubes at the end of winding operation. This operation can also be effected by means of a mechanical device not forming part of the spinning machine. Apparatuses of this type are however, very slow and unreliable, it is often necessary to avail of a number thereof, also because an exact programming of the dofiing in connection with time is not always possible.

Other spinning machines incorporate means for effecting the doffing, but such means often require too much space outside the machine, which may provide a considerable inconvenience both for the passage of travelling blowers and carriages and also for the ordinary operations of spinning machine drive, such as the piecing up of broken ends.

The automatic spinning machine according to the invention is characterized by comprising as an integral part thereof members for automatically effecting the doffing of the bobbins and replacing of empty tubes; the same being accommodated below the spindle-holders, so that such members will not cause any inconvenience or requiring unnecessary space.

The advantages of the present invention are as follows:

Elimination of any occupation of space in front of the spindle holders when the spinning machine is operating (in fact, after the dofling the rails are retracted under the spindle holders and do not project from the normal over all dimensions of the machine).

Reduction of labour required for spinning machine operation (thus avoiding to program the winding times).

As these machines eliminate operators employed in the doifings in case of a failure in the automatic dofiing motion it will sutfice to provide for the normal dofiing on one machine only.

As bobbins and the tubes are handled during a single operative cycle, the dofiing times can be substantially reduced without significantly stressing the device elements,

"ice

which is however a very simple device, this providing the system with a high operating reliability.

The accompanying drawings diagrammatically show by way of example an embodiment of the spinning machine according to the invention, and particularly:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a section of the automatic spinning machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the automatic spinning machine of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3-19 diagrammatically show the sequency succession relating to the automatic dotting.

Deliberately the figures omit showing those parts of the spinning machine which are not essential for understanding the operation of the present device. Moreover, FIG. 1 shows the device located on one side of the machine, the device on the other side being similarly formed.

The dofling motion or device is clearly shown in FIG. 1. This device is essentially formed to include an articulated frame comprising a beam or crosspiece 1, shown by full lines at rest position and dashed lines at operative position, said crosspiece carrying the clamping means for the empty tubes 23, and bobbins 24, respectively and two connecting rods 5.

Each of the clamping or gripping means may be formed, for example, as a pair of hollow metal cylinders 2 and 3, internally provided with air tubes and inflatable by compressed air (see FIG. 2). In this case, crosspiece 1 carries two separate pipes for compressed air 4 and 4', so as to afford an independent control for said clamping means 2 and 3.

The connecting rods 5, pivoted at one end of said crosspiece 1, are connected at the other end to sliding blocks 6 and 6 axially slidable on a round bar 7 forming a guide. An endless chain 8, driven by wheel 9, is secured at the top to a sliding block 6', and is slidable with respect to block 6. The lower portion of said chain is secured to sliding block 6, and is slidable with respect to block 6'. The clockwise rotation of wheel 9, driven by a proper speed reducing unit (not shown) carries said sliding blocks 6 and 6 to the positions 6a and 6'a, shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1.

During this movement, said crosspiece 1 will raise due to said connecting rods 5.

Springs 11 and 11', restrained at one end at said sliding blocks 6 and 6' and also slidable on said round bar 7, aid the motor at starting and provide for system motion damping at the end of the stroke thereof.

The structure carrying the articulated frame and formed of plates 12, 13 and 14, horizontal crosspieces 15 and 15, and guide 16, acting to said crosspiece 1 in its upward and downward movement is rigid and horizontally translatable. This movement from rest position to a more external position is essential in order that said crosspiece 1 does not interfere with the spindle-holders 17 during its up and down movement, as readily seen from FIG. 2.

Through a suitable speed-reducing unit 10, an electric motor, not shown, drives three pinions 19 mounted longitudinally of the spinning machine; only one of these pinions is shown in FIG. 2, and a pair of racks 20 and 20 for each pinion, thus obtaining in addition to a horizontal movement an optimum parallelism between said crosspiece 1 and spindles. Racks 20 and 20' mesh at diametrically opposite points with pinion 19 for driving both doifing devices on the sides of said spinning machine.

Below spindle-holders 17, on which spnidles 18 are mounted, a conveyor belt 21 carries fingers 22, onto which said empty tubes 23 or bobbins 24 are forced (see FIGS. 1 and 2 As clearly apparent from FIG. 2, all of the described elements are at their rest condition (which is the condition of normal operation of the machine) under said spindle-holders, whereby no additional obstacles are provided.

The operation of the device is diagrammatically shown in FIGS. 319, in which for sake of clarity only the position of said empty tubes 23 and bobbins 24 on both sides of said spinning machine and relating to the spinning machine have been shown, without showing the automatic doifing device. During winding operation, a suitable container (not shown in the figure) presents on fingers 22 of conveyor belt 21 the empty tubes to be mounted on spindles 18 after doffing a finger and a tube, corresponding to each spindle and thus each is exactly positioned under the clamping means of crosspiece 1, at the rest position (FIG. 3). At the end of the winding operation, the spinning-machine will stop and the ring-holder carriage moves down as loops automatically overturn. At the same time, pinion 19 and racks 2020' horizontally move said clamping means until cylinders 2 are on the vertical axis of tube 23 (FIG. 4). Thereafter crosspiece 1 moves downward (FIG. 5) and cylinders 2 of said clamping means clampingly engage the empty tubes 23 owing to the admission of compressed air into the inner air chamber of said cylinders 2.

Now crosspiece 1 raises, thus releasing tubes 23 from fingers 22 (FIG. 6) and moves outward (FIG. 7), while wheel 9 rotating in a clockwise direction, causes crosspiece 1 to raise to the topmost position (FIG. 8). Now crosspiece 1 moves horizontally (FIG. 9) until cylinder 3 of the clamping means is on the vertical axis of spindle 18. Then as wheel 9 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, crosspiece 1 moves downwardly (FIG. 10) and said clamping means will clampingly engage the bobbins: Wheel 9 then reverses its movementrand crosspiece 1 upwardly moves, thus releasing bobbins 24 from spindles 18 (FIG. 11).

A subsequent series of similar movements (FIGS. 12, 13 and 14) will allow the positioning of said empty tubes 23 on spindles 18, properly setting them so as to avoid misalignments. By means of compressed air exhaust said cylinders 3 release the clamping of tubes and said crosspiece 1 may thus move upwardly. The subsequent movements, shown in FIGS. 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19, are similar to those described above. Crosspiece 1 moves outwardly and downwardly and deposits bobbins 24 onto fingers 22 of conveyor belt 21 and finally returns to its rest position under the spindle-holders.

Thus the dofiing operation is achieved and the spinningmachine can automatically restart and accomplish a new winding operation.

During the next winding operation, the conveyor belt 21 moves the bobbins under a further automatic device (not shown) on the side of the rear shoulder; this provides for unthreading said bobbins from the fingers and storing them within a suitable receiver. Now the belt fingers are free again and ready to receive empty tubes for the next doffing operation.

An example has been shown for dotfing on both sides of the machine; but it is apparent that bobbin doffing can be effected on one side of the machine independently of the other side of the machine without departing from the scope of the present invention.

- What is claimed is:

1. Means for automatically dofiing bobbins and replacing tubes in an automatic spinning machine comprising: an articulated frame, a bearing structure supporting said frame, said bearing structure including a pair of connecting rods, a pair of sliding blocks connected to said connecting rods at first ends thereof, a bar slidably engaging said blocks and guiding the same in substantially rectilinear motion, a crosspiece connected to second ends of said rods, clamping means selectively engaging said bobbins and tubes carried by said crosspiece, movement of said blocks mutually toward and away from each other serving to elevate and lower said crosspiece, in a substantially vertical plane; and means for shifting said frame translationally perpendicular to said vertical plane, andpneumatic means for actuating said clamping means.

2. Structure in accordance with claim 1, including an endless chain forming two continuous parallel segments, one segment being secured to each of said blocks for obtaining simultaneous movement.

3. Structure in accordance with claim 1, including rack and pinion means for executing said last mentioned translational movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,054,249 9/1962 Bahnson 5754X 3,123,967 3/1964- Ingham 5752 3,357,535 12/1967 Shoji 5752UX 3,370,411 2/1968 Schulz et a1. 5752 3,398,519 8/1968 Haussmann 5752. 3,403,494 10/1968 Livingston 5753X DONALD E. WATKINS, Primary Examiner 

